Ink

During class I heard some of my classmates ask: What is close reading? 

Well it is is to see the symbolism behind every word the author writes. In this assignment we had to close read the title of the memoir we are going to read. I will read Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane. The first thing that strikes me from the title is the cultural value it has. Although I don't know the meaning of the word Kaffir, I can deduce it is culturally rich.

Kaffir: The word kaffir, sometimes spelled kaffer or kafir, is an offensive term for a black person, most common in South Africa and other African countries. Generally considered a racial or ethnic slur in modern usage, it was previously a neutral term for black southernAfrican people.

So there we go! Kaffir is a racial term. I can predict now that the book will treat the topic of racial injustice. 

The second word on the title is boy which means the youth of the writer could be his main focus point. I can also see how uniting a pure boy and an offensive term seems contradictory, it brings the reader to the social conflict the book may treat.

I expect a dramatic book, which will move me. I expect a shocking reality, probably a cruel one. What else can I say? Let's start it.